CAMPUSCLIPS

Several enhancements to University of Jamestown residence halls are taking place this summer.

At Watson Hall, work was begun during the spring semester and continues on a new addition to the west side of the building. The addition will house the building’s new main entrance, an elevator, a Resident Director’s office, new restrooms and shower rooms for each floor, and expanded lounges with kitchenettes on the second and third floors.

In the main portion of the building, the residence hall rooms are being converted in to suites with two bedrooms and a living room per four students. Other work will include aesthetic improvements in the hallways, new electrical lines and upgraded lighting, and installation of air conditioning and a sprinkler system. The hall will have an 83-student capacity and will become a residence for first- and second-year honor students.

In Kroeze Hall, maintaining its strong sense of community while creating more open space was important.

“The community experience of each floor will be stronger with improved space for interaction,” says Dean of Students Gary Van Zinderen.

Each section will have a new bathroom. Existing shower rooms will become lounge space with new windows. Kroeze’s laundry facilities, previously located on each floor, will be relocated to the lower level with the benefit of wireless notification when residents’ wash and dry cycles are complete. A sprinkler system, new windows, and air conditioners will be installed. Eventually, the Kroeze courtyard will be upgraded as an entertainment/gathering space.

In Seibold Hall, a building sprinkler system will be installed in addition to air conditioning and updates to the lounges on each floor. In Prentice Hall, air conditioning will be installed, and the main lounge will get updated furniture. Wilson and Nierling Halls’ main lounges will get updated furniture.

Safety is also an important part of the overall plan. Hall entries are being converted to a keycard access system. Security cameras will be installed in residence hall parking lots.

To help meet a growing demand for upperclass housing, the University has acquired an apartment building west of the Jimmie Soccer Fields. The building will house 27 students.

The cafeteria in Westminster Hall is undergoing a complete renovation with the goal of emphasizing fresher, healthier food, as well as more flexibility in how the space may be utilized.

“This will enhance the flow and increase the number of people who can be served,” Van Zinderen says. “It will be user-friendly, warm, and welcoming, and it will cater to a lot of different interests at the same time.”